


Bloodsucker

by BC2



Series: Ruby and Nora (Redux) [11]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Action, Drama, F/F, Trains
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-21
Updated: 2018-11-21
Packaged: 2019-08-27 04:15:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16695256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BC2/pseuds/BC2
Summary: Aswang finally catches up with his target...





	Bloodsucker

Zwei ran ahead of the group, sniffing the ground in an attempt to pick up Ruby’s scent. When he found something, he turned to the rest of the group and barked.

”Eep!” Blake jumped in Yang’s arms.

”Kitten, it’s been months...you _really_ need to get use to him,” Yang sighed.

”Sorry, it’s a cat faunus thing,” Blake said as Yang set her down.

”Dogophobia?” Yang asked in a joking manner.

”Actually, the correct term for the fear of canines is Cynophobia,” Oobelck corrected. Everyone stared at him. “I didn’t keep this teaching job for nothing!”

Zwei barked again to get the group back on the task at hand.

”You have Ruby’s scent, boy?” Summer asked.

Zwei shook his head, and turned towards the direction the scent was coming from.

”Okay, I guess the dog is taking point,” Qrow snarked.

Zwei let out another cute bark before taking off in that direction.

”Looks like he’s heading towards Muzukasi,” Summer noted as they followed Zwei.

”Oh, I remember that place!” Yang got excited. “I remember we used to spend the nights there with...” her face fell “...dad.”

Summer could only let out a sad sigh.

”We’ve been losing a lot of people, haven’t we?” Yang asked. “What if Ruby-“

”I won’t let that happen, Yang,” Summer assured. “ _We_ won’t let that happen.”

”Right,” Yang’s spirits seemed to rise, “she’ll be fine.”

* * *

Ruby and Nora sat in the dining cart of the train. Ruby was leaning in her chair, her face pressed against the cold glass of the window in an attempt to help the pain of her bruised face.

Nora sat across from her, unable to stomach the sight of herself in the reflection. She kept her eyes on Ruby, though that didn’t alleviate her guilt any less.

”Good morning,” the waiter’s voice pulled Nora from her thoughts. “What would you two like?”

”Oh!” Nora put on her best happy face, and looked at the breakfast menu. “Can I have...” her eyes fell on pancakes, and she fell silent.

”Ma’am?”

”Eggs...please,” Nora said. “Scrambled.”

”And you, Miss?” The waiter turned to Ruby.

”Just a glass of milk, please,” Ruby spoke softly. “I’m not very hungry.”

”Of course,” the waiter nodded, “we’ll have your food ready in less than ten minutes.” With that, he walked off, leaving Ruby and Nora to sit in uncomfortable silence, once more.

”You know,” Ruby broke the silence between them, “I still have...I mean I took one of...”

”What is it?” Nora asked.

”It’s...” Ruby sighed, “not important. Just another reminder of my failure.”

”You’re not a failure, Ruby,” Nora assured. “None of us were ready for what happened that night.”

”But Yang was counting on me to save Weiss and Pyrrha.” Ruby felt tears run down her face. “She had faith that I could make it...I could save them...”

”I don’t blame you,” Nora said, knowing where Ruby was going.

”What kind of team leader am I?” Ruby asked herself, ignoring Nora’s assurance. “I only arrived to see Pyrrha die, Weiss was already gone before I even reached the roof. The Gods only know how long she was dead before I got there.”

Nora remind silent. _Maybe it will be good to let her get it all out._

”Isn’t it funny?” Ruby asked.

”What?” Nora asked.

”I brought it up last night,” Ruby chuckled. “I have a speed semblance, but I wasn’t fast enough...”

”I don’t think that’s funny, at all,” Nora said.

”Why not?!” Ruby snapped, causing the other passengers to look at the two. Ruby noticed this, and calmed down. “I’m sorry,” she spoke much softer.

”Please, stop apologizing,” Nora said. “I dragged you out here, I hit you, I was being selfish...”

”Not entirely,” Ruby interrupted. “I’m not a pushover, Nora. I came because I wanted to get the people who took our friends from us just as much as you do. I hope my family feels the same way.”

”What if they try and stop us?”

”I would never hurt them,” Ruby said more to herself than anything, “but I wouldn’t stop until the people who destroyed Vale are brought to justice.”

”And if that justice is death?”

Ruby seemed to smile at Nora’s question. “They took my Penny. If that’s the justice that needs to be brought upon them, so be it.”

Ruby looked out the window as she spoke and saw something flying through the trees. It was hard to see because of it and the train’s speed, added with the trees blocking her line of sight.

”Is that a Grimm?” Ruby narrowed her eyes at what was outside.

”Huh?” Nora followed Ruby’s gaze and found the creature. “What is that-“

”Breakfast is served,” the waiter’s voice pulled the two from the creature outside.

”Hey, aren’t trains tracks supposed to run outside of Grimm woods?” Nora asked, concerned evident in her voice.

”Whatever do you mean?”

”There’s a grimm-“ Nora pointed outside and saw that whatever she and Ruby had saw was gone.

”I assure you madam, Mistrail Railways makes sure that every track is free from any risk of Grimm,” the waiter assured.

”Right...maybe we were just seeing things,” Ruby said.

”I guess...” Nora wasn’t sure. “How long until we reach Mistral?”

”Three days at the latest,” the waiter answered. “I hope you won’t be missing anything important.”

”We’re not in a rush,” Nora said.

The waiter nodded. “That’s wonderful to hear, enjoy your breakfast.”

As he walked away, Nora looked outside.

”Nora? Are you okay?” Ruby asked.

”I don’t have a good feeling about this,” Nora spoke honestly.

* * *

Zwei lead the group to Muzukasi by night fall.

”There it is!” Yang exclaimed, gleefully. “Oh, it’s been too long!”

”I miss this place, too,” Summer agreed. “We should visit again if-“

”I hate to interrupt the walk down memory lane but...” Port pointed to the smoke stack that had been rising out of one of buildings.

”Oh no.” Yang ran ahead.

”Yang! Wait!” Blake ran after her, the rest of the group following behind.

It was a disturbing sight. Every villager was dead, yet not a single drop of blood was anywhere near any of the bodies.

”What could’ve done this?!” Port asked.

”Guys, I found a someone alive!” Yang shouted.

The group followed her voice and found her holding Penwood in her arms.

”Oh Gods,” Summer ran up to him, “are you alright?”

”I...I don’t know...” Penwood answered. “I can’t feel anything below my neck.”

”That would be a no,” Oobelck said, bluntly.

”Bartholomew!” Port scolded.

”Can you tell us what happened here?” Qrow asked.

”It was a Grimm...nothing I’ve ever seen before,” Penwood began. “It was looking for two huntresses that had come here.”

”Was one black haired with red highlights, wearing a red hooded cape?” Yang, Summer, and Qrow asked simultaneously.

”Uh...yes,” Penwood answered. “She was traveling with an orange haired girl.”

”That was most definitely them...Wait, how do you know the Grimm was looking for them?” Yang asked.

”It...spoke.”

”What?!” Everyone in group shouted.

”How?” Port demanded.

”It said it wanted to avenge the injury done to its mother,” Penwood explained. “I didn’t want to tell it where they were going, I really didn’t. The girls had saved us from the ‘Grimm’ problem that had been plaguing us for years.”

”Mother...injury...?” Oobelck asked, uncharacteristically serious. “Does that mean-“

”Salem isn’t dead.” Qrow grimaced.

”But you said-“ Port began.

”She was frozen solid!” Qrow shouted. “I thought...I didn’t know...damn it!”

”What are you talking about?!” Penwood demanded.

”That’s none of your concern,” Qrow answered, coldly.

”That thing slaughtered my village!” Penwood tried to stand, but he was too weak to. “It is very much my concern.”

Summer gave Qrow a dirty look, and Qrow sunk back in guilt.

”Port, you stay here and make sure this man gets medical attention,” Summer ordered. “While you’re at it, tell him everything.”

”I don’t think I should-“ Port began to protest.

Summer shot him a death glare.

”I’ll be extra sure too!” Port immediately changed his tune, he took out his scroll and began to dial for the authorities.

”Come on, we need to keep moving,” Summer said.

”If you find that thing, avenge my people,” Penwood requested.

Summer nodded, sadly. “Of course.”

”Wait...” Yang had a sicken realization, “the thing that did this is going after Ruby!

* * *

Ruby laid in Nora and her’s bed room, staring at the ceiling and listening as the train moved over the tracks.

”You can’t sleep either, huh?” Ruby heats Nora asked.

Ruby turned to look at Nora, seeing only her Aqua colored eyes in the darkness.

A small smile grew on her face, and she let out a little chuckle. “Nope.”

She heard Nora laugh in the darkness. “Guess we can both stay up together.”

”I guess so,” Ruby said, sitting up to flick on her light switch. “I haven’t slept so well since my coma.”

Nora snorted. “I can’t bek your making jokes about that already.”

”I can’t believe your laughing about it already,” Ruby joked back.

”I wasn’t laughing at it!” Nora defended. “I was just caught off guard by the suddenness of your joke!”

Ruby rolled her eyes, smile growing wider. “Sure.” Ruby looked to Nora, who was staring at her in shock. “What?”

”Ruby...you’re smiling,” Nora said.

Ruby could only chuckle. “Yeah, I guess I am. Talking about what happened really helped.”

”I can see that,” Nora said, sadly.

”Hey.” Nora looked to see Ruby, sitting up. She patted the spot next to her. “Come on.”

”You want me-“

”To talk about it,” Ruby said. “If I can make you feel even a fraction better, it’s enough.”

Nora couldn’t help but smile at this. “Okay.”

* * *

Summer’s group found the train station in a similar state to Muzukasi. Every civilian and worker had been killed, and not a single drop of blood.

”I’m starting to notice a pattern,” Blake said, face pale.

“Whatever’s been doing this is quick and efficient.” Qrow examined one if the bodies. “This is definitely smarter than any existing Grimm species.”

”Yeah, not like this thing apparently talking wasn’t already a sign of that,” Blake snarked, bitterly.

”Ruby be must be talking a train to Mistral.” Summer stood at the edge of the platform, looking out to the tracks that lead to the city. “I hope whatever is chasing her can’t catch up to a train.”

* * *

”I felt so...worthless...” Nora admitted as the tears ran down her face. “I could only watch as that bastard stuck those blades in his chest...”

”We were all helpless, Nora,” Ruby spoke comfortingly.

”But you guys didn’t spend weeks not speaking to him because he didn’t return your feelings.” Nora wanted to slap herself. “I didn’t even get to apologize for how I acted...”

Ruby stayed silent, letting Nora get all her feelings out.

”We’ve been through so much together, and was so sure he’d love me back, and when he didn’t I shut down,” Nora continued. “I was so selfish...so egotistical...that I was only person to be that together-together with him. Now he’s gone, and I realized that the reason I loved him so much wasn’t because I had a crush on him, it was because he was my friend.”

Ruby pulled Nora into a hug.

”Somewhere, down the line, I forgot that,” Nora weeped.

”I’m sure, wherever Ren is now, he understands.” Ruby ran her fingers through Nora’s hair. “I’m sure he’s forgiven you.”

”Thank you, Ruby,” Nora sniffed. “I’m sure Weiss and Pyrrha don’t hold you in contempt either, and neither does Penny.”

Ruby’s breathing began to shake, but it stopped and she smiled at Nora. “Thanks, that means a lot...” Ruby noticed Nora was staring at her. “Nora? Are you okay?”

”Ruby...don’t move,” Nora ordered.

That’s when Ruby realized Nora wasn’t looking at her, she was looking **_behind_** her, towards the window.

”What is it?” Ruby asked. “Is that Grimm we saw?”

”I...don’t know.” Nora locked eyes with the Aswang, and the creature smiled her.

Then, it jumped off the window, flew in a circle while still keeping up with the train, and dove towards the window at an alarming speed.

Ruby turned around, and with the last second she had, pushed Nora out of the way as the creature shattered through the glass and tackled Ruby through the bedroom door and out into the hallway.

”Ah, Miss Rose!” The Aswang sniffed her neck. “I must say, you’re not a difficult girl to track. Though you do smell quite delicious!”

Ruby tried to wrestle herself free, but the beast was too strong.

”No, no, no!” The Aswang mocked in a sing-song voice. “It’s going to take a lot more than that to get me off you.”

Just then, a hand grabbed the Aswang by its hair and pulled its head back.

”How about me?” Nora asked, before she slammed the Aswang’s head through the door of opposite room. She helped Ruby up as he struggled to get its head unstuck, hearing the screams of the residents inside. “Ruby, get our weapons, mine is in my bad over my bed.”

”Right.” Ruby nodded, running into their room as the Aswang got its head free.

”You’re going to-“

Nora cut it off when a right hook to the jaw.

”Ow! You-“

Nora gave it a left hook.

”Stop-“

Another right hook.

”Let me finish a freakin sen-“

Another left hook.

”Alright, that’s enough!” The Aswang tackles Nora to the ground, clawing at her flesh to diminish her aura.

Nora grabbed both of its arms, and kicked it in the chest with both of her legs, sending its head into a light that was on the ceiling. She grabbed it by its tail and slammed it onto the floor.

”Nora, stop!” A familiar voice cried out to her.

Nora froze. “R-Ren?”

”Nora...stop...please,” The Aswang pleaded in Ren’s voice.

”How...how?!” Nora stepped back.

The Aswang was about to lunge when a blade dug itself into its back.

”Argh!” The Aswang returned to its normal way of speaking as Ruby pulled Penny’s blade from its back.

”Nora! Catch!” Ruby tossed her Magnhild.

”Ruby...is that-“

”I was going to tell you this morning, I guess now is as good a time as any.” Ruby held Penny’s blade in front of her, looking the Aswang dead in the eyes. “Come on, you freak! I’m combat ready!”

The Aswang paused. “Wha-“

Ruby slashes across his chest.

The Aswang let out a girlish shriek as it jumped back. It looked at Ruby and Nora, breathing heavy as the two moved in. Its injuries were catching up to it, and it knew this.

”I’ll kill you!” The Aswang lunged at Nora, completely forgetting about its mission for the sake of hurting Ruby emotionally.

Unfortunately, this proved to be its downfall. As the Aswang reached its right arm out to grab Nora’s throat, Ruby was able to take it off with a single swing of Penny’s blade.

The sounds of a blistering scream could be heard for miles.

”You...you...” The Aswang looked at its severed hand in shock. It looked up to see Ruby standing protectively in front of Nora. With a quivering lip, the creature turned and ran into the Ruby and Nora’s bedroom, taking off out the window it flew in from.

Ruby and Nora ran into their room and watched it fly off into the darkness of the new moon.

”What was that thing?” Nora asked.

”I...I don’t know...” Ruby sighed. “That’s not any kind of Grimm we’ve been taught about.”

Nora looked down at Penny’s blade. It was resting in Ruby’s hand.

”How-“

”Qrow gave it to me,” Ruby answered, knowing what Nora was going to ask. “He fought through the entire arena of Grimm for this...”

”That’s, really sweet,” Nora said.

”Excuse me!”

Ruby and Nora turned to see a man in suit standing in the middle of the hallway.

”Can you two explain to me why I’ve been getting noise complaints, a couple screaming about some Grimm abomination’s head going through their door, **and** why this place is a total mess?!”

Ruby and Nora looked at each other.

”Long story,” they said, simultaneously.

* * *

Salem sat in front of the weeping form of the Aswang. “What. Did. I. Tell. You?”

”Well, I best take my-“ Mercury began to walk out of the room.

” **You stay!** ”Salem’s voice boomed.

”Okay!” Mercury threw his hands into the air, uncharacteristically frightened.

”As I was saying,” Salem got her bearings, returning to her cold and venomous tone, “repeat me what I told you.”

”That...you would make me look worse than you did...” The Aswang shook.

”If you didn’t...?” Salem paused.

”Bring you the girl’s head,” The Aswang finished.

”So,” Salem rose out of her seat and gracefully moved towards The Aswang, almost hovering, “can you explain to me in great detail why you did exactly that?!”

”I tried!” The Aswang backed away as Salem moved closer. “She cut my arm off, and I was too weak to fight!”

”Yet, you’re strong enough to come crawling back to me, begging for forgiveness?” Salem snarked.

”I can make it up to you!” The Aswang pleaded. “P-Please...Mother...j-just regrow my arm and I won’t fail you again!”

”Oh, you won’t be failing me again.” Salem moved in on the now cornered Aswang.

”W-Wait...Mother...please!” The Aswang begged. “Have mercy!”

Mercury watched as Salem did something (he couldn’t see because her back was blocking his line of sight) to cause the Aswang to scream in agony before a sicken “Pop” was heard. When Salem turned to face him, she was covered in Grimm blood.

”Mercury,” Salem said, calmly.

”Y-yes boss?” Mercury suddenly felt a wave of “respect” for Salem.

”I get the feeling I’ll need a more...humane way of dealing with Ruby,” Salem explained, making her way back to her seat. The Aswang’s blood had already vanished from her body, and its mangled corpse along with it. “In my bed chambers, there are three scrolls, each marked for a human working for me under the raider. One is marked Atlas, one is marked Mistral, and one is marked simply as bandit. If what that useless Grimm told us is true, Ruby **can not** be allowed to disrupt our work in Mistral. Call up that bandit queen and tell her I’ll have _her_ head if she doesn’t give me Ruby’s before she makes it to Mistral.”

“Sure thing, Boss.” Mercury turned to hurry out of the room.

”Mercury,” Salem called out.

Mercury stopped, and turned back to her. “Yeah?”

”When your done, get your things packed, we’re going to Mistral.” Salem smirked. “I’ll be going after the Spring Maiden myself.”

**Author's Note:**

> I never thought I could make pancakes depressing, but here I am.


End file.
